Richard Lafferty

Richard Lafferty (3 September 1827-14 June 1899) was an Irish-born American politician who served as a Democratic New York City alderman from 1870 to 1882.

Biography
Richard Lafferty was born in Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland in 1827, the son of Sean and Maureen Lafferty. He was orphaned by the Great Famine of the 1840s, forcing him to emigrate to the United States aboard SS Morrigan in 1847. He settled in Manhattan, becoming an undertaker in the Five Points district. In 1870, he was elected as a Democratic alderman with the help of the Tammany Hall political machine, and he also served as a ward boss in the Five Points, ensuring that the Catholic immigrant vote remained almost entirely Democratic. He served as an alderman for twelve years, and he left office in 1882 to become Lower Manhattan's wealthiest undertaker. In 1892, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey to live with his daughter and son-in-law, who looked after him until his death in 1899.